The Nintendo 64 remains one of the most iconic Nintendo consoles out there, having defined a lot of childhoods in the 80s and 90s before the advent of the PlayStation. While its graphics and gameplay were nothing close to what current games offer today, there have been attempts to make the Nintendo 64 as feature-rich as possible - especially with the help of unique peripherals.
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Unlike today's extra peripherals involving unique controllers, some of the N64's quirkiest features involve trying to spice up gameplay or the experience with the classic overall. What's more interesting is how the most unique feature offerings of the Nintendo 64 come with accessories that are often built for specific games.
Access The Internet
Use The 64DD To Browse The Internet, Check Emails, And Access Cheats
Nintendo was actually among the first publishers to take advantage of the Internet boom in the 1990s with an exclusive network peripheral for the Nintendo 64: the 64DD. When connected to Japan’s Randnet, at the time the console’s official online network, users can send email, use their browser, and even play some online games.
Unfortunately, this never left Japan, but that didn’t mean the United States didn’t try to release its own version of the device. Whereas Japan had 64DD, North America had Sharkwire Online, which was a third-party cartridge that contained a 14.4k modem. Unlike the Japanese version, Sharkwire Online required a subscription to access its web browsing and email service, alongside other features such as downloading cheat codes.
Adapt To Stress
The Higher The Pulse In The Bio Sensor, The Harder The Game
Japan has a reputation for some of the wildest products in the market, and the country stayed true to this brand of quirkiness with the Nintendo 64. Players who loved Tetris 64 at the time will actually get a special Bio Sensor accessory bundled with the Nintendo 64 game.
While unavailable and unreleased to the Western market, those in Japan who did get the Bio Sensor can add a new layer of suspense to their Tetris matches. At its core, the Bio Sensor worked by attaching the clip to one of their earlobes, allowing the peripheral to “read” their heartbeat. This transforms Tetris 64 into a pressure-based game, as the faster the player’s heartbeat, the worse the game would get for them.
Custom Mapping for Modern Experiences
Use The N64 Controller Adapter To Custom Map N64 Controllers For Modern Experiences
Just because the Nintendo 64 is a classic console doesn’t mean there’s no way to use the console today - especially for players who loved its quirky controller. With an N64 to USB Adapter like the one from Raphnet, players can custom map their N64 controller to accommodate more modern experiences. This is perfect for gamers who want a challenge or players who have access to older titles on modern devices and want an older controller to make the experience as authentic as possible.
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In the case of the Raphnet variant, this adapter also supports NES/SNES controllers and even Wii instruments. With this specific adapter, the N64 Controller can have swappable joysticks, joystick and mouse modes, and turn the D-Pad into axis or buttons - all within an accessible UI.
Emulate Game Boy Games On The N64
Use The Transfer Pak To Enjoy Classic Perks From Older Games
Before Pokemon Home, there was no reliable way for Pokemon Trainers to transfer or store their Pokemon from one game to another. They just had to keep their cartridges safe and pray their saves are still accessible when they get back to playing them. However, for Nintendo 64 players, they can actually use the Transfer Pak that comes with the Pokemon Stadium games to transfer their save data with Game Boy or Game Boy Color Pokemon titles.
When accessing the Transfer Pak, players can either store their Pokemon from the Game Boy games (Red, Blue, Yellow) into Pokemon Stadium, unlock exclusive prize Pokemon, and even emulate those games for television. What’s even more interesting is how the Transfer Pak can do similar functions across other titles, such as 1999’s Mario Artist: Paint Studio and Talent Studio being able to load pictures with the 1998 Game Boy Camera, 1999’s Mario Golf and Mario Tennis letting characters get experience in the N64 before being transferred back to the Game Boy Color saves, and Perfect Dark immediately unlocking cheats.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
Improve Game Performance With Boosted Memory
Double The Memory With The Expansion Pak
Before players could even ask “But can it run Crysis?” About their PC builds, old-school Nintendo 64 games were some of the best of their time. However, fans would be surprised to learn that the onboard memory of a Nintendo 64 is just 4MB - very small by modern standards, but enough to run games back in the day. Thankfully, this is something they can increase to a whopping 8MB RDRAM with the Expansion Pak, something they can insert into the 64DD floppy drive.
This was originally released with 2000’s Perfect Dark, Majora’s Mask, and Donkey Kong 64 - giving the games a much-needed screen resolution boost, better fluidity in animations, and increased frame rates. Some games actually needed the additional RDRAM, such as the Brood War of StarCraft 64 and Perfect Dark.
Play SNES And NES Games
Use The Tristar 64 To Emulate SNES And NES Games
Players who want to get a much older school than the Nintendo 64 can actually tweak the device to play their NES and SNES games with the Tristar 64. This is made by Future Laboratory, based in Hong Kong, and is an unlicensed third-party device.
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When installed, the Tristar 64 has two ports compatible with SNES and NES cartridges, allowing them to run from within the Nintendo 64. This removes the hassle of having to dust off their classic consoles to play older titles, and the device also comes with a Memory Editor that can edit or archive save files, as well as the X-Terminator that enables cheats.
Voice Recognition To Play Games
Use The VRU To Tell Commands To The Nintendo 64
Players who ever encountered a difficult challenge in a game may have dreamt of just voicing out what they want their characters to do. While the technology to do this for modern games remains far off, publishers have experimented with this through the years. Nintendo fans may remember the Wii Speak for the Wii, although this didn’t take off with mainstream audiences. Surprisingly enough, there’s actually another attempt, much older than this: the VRU for Nintendo 64 games.
VRU stood for Voice Recognition Unit and came with a microphone, controller port, and a connector clip, and was originally calibrated for high-pitched voices. The VRU came packed with 1998’s Hey You, Pikachu! And 1999’s Densha de Go! 64, where the peripheral allows players to speak their commands.
Play Self-Made Games On The Nintendo 64
Use The Everdrive 64X5 To Install Homebrew Titles
Players who want to dabble into game development might want to create a retro title, as they're often not as resource-intensive as modern titles. However, for aspiring game devs who want the full "immersion" factor for their retro games, they may consider putting them into an Everdrive 64X5, which has a built-in SD card slot.
When done this way, the Everdrive 64X5 essentially acts as a "cartridge" that carries the self-made game like a Nintendo 64 title. This means players can plug the Everdrive 64X5 into their old Nintendo 64 device, then plug that console into an older TV, and play their game as though they're playing with a classic game.
- Brand
- Nintendo
- Original Release Date
- September 29, 1996